Negba’s Teens Build with Wood, and Build Their Future, Through New Carpentry Workshop

Once a week the sounds of drilling, hammering and sawing can be heard emanating from Negba’s Teen Club in Beersheva, as part of a new woodworking workshop launched this year for Negba’s youth. The teens, both girls and boys, are constructing cabinets and other furnishings to equip some of Negba’s After-School Homes and Clubs.

“What a cool activity!” said Efrat A., 12, a member of the Teen Club. “I’ve never done anything like this before. Now I know how to build all kinds of things.”

The teens learn all the elements of carpentry, first becoming familiar with the types of materials such as solid wood, sandwich, melamine, and MDF. They then advance to the various stages of design, measurement, cutting, grinding, pasting, bonding and finishing. But the workshop is much more than just building with wood; it enables them to build a sense of self-worth and accomplishment.

“The teens experience the full meaning of process by actively participating in a project from the very beginning through its completion,” remarked Eyal Peretz, Negba’s Program Director. “They gain satisfaction from something they’ve created with their own hands, and they feel that they are of value. That feeling is vital for their future, and will make them better individuals.”

For participant Hodaya T., 12, the impact of the workshop on her was clear. “It showed me that if I set my mind to do something, I can do it, and that I have something to contribute to the world.”